Mexican · sauce/condiment

Mole Poblano

Name: Mole Poblano
Prep time: 35 min
Total time: 1 h
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 4 dried mulato chiles; 3 dried ancho chiles; 3 dried pasilla chiles; 1 dried chipotle chile; 2 oz Mexican dark chocolate; 2 tomatoes; 3 tomatillos; 1 white onion; 4 cloves garlic; 1/4 cup raisins; 1/4 cup almonds; 2 tbsp sesame seeds; 2 tbsp pumpkin seeds; 2 stale tortillas; 1/2 ripe plantain; 3 tbsp lard; 4 cups chicken broth; 1 cinnamon stick; 3 cloves; 1/2 tsp black pepper; 1/2 tsp cumin; salt to taste

Mole Poblano reads richness 5.0, sweetness 4.9 and umami 4.9 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Mexican sauce/condiment, about 1 hr. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

Umami & Savory — 5.2 / 10
Sweet & Fruity — 6.0 / 10
Sour & Bright — 3.3 / 10
Bitter & Earthy — 3.9 / 10
Rich & Fat — 6.3 / 10
Aromatic & Spice — 4.7 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Richness 5.0 · Sweetness 4.9 · Umami 4.9 · Nutty 4.3 · Heat 4.0 · Fruity 3.5 · Warm Spice 3.2 · Bitterness 3.0 · Allium 2.9 · Earthy 2.8 · Smoke 2.8 · Sourness 2.8 · Salinity 2.8 · Floral 2.1 · Citrus 1.7 · Herbaceous 1.1

What's in it (22)

4 dried mulato chiles
3 dried ancho chiles
3 dried pasilla chiles
1 dried chipotle chile
2 oz Mexican dark chocolate
2 tomatoes
3 tomatillos
1 white onion
4 cloves garlic
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup almonds
2 tbsp sesame seeds
2 tbsp pumpkin seeds
2 stale tortillas
1/2 ripe plantain
3 tbsp lard
4 cups chicken broth
1 cinnamon stick
3 cloves
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp cumin
salt to taste

Time & effort: about 1 hr (35 min active) · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 119.4 kcal, 4 g protein, 5.7 g fat, 16 g carbs

Dietary: Contains meat — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (3 steps)

Toast, soak, and blend each group of ingredients separately before combining everything in a large cazuela with lard.
Fry the blended mixture in batches, stirring constantly, then thin with chicken broth and simmer for at least an hour.
Add chocolate at the end, stir until melted, and serve over turkey or chicken with sesame seeds on top.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

Mole Poblano de Guajolote — Mexican · Puebla
Mole Negro Oaxaqueño con Guajolote — Mexican · Oaxaca
Mirchi ka Salan (Chillies in Peanut and Sesame Gravy) — Indian · Hyderabad
Chole (Chana Masala) — Indian
Chicken Mole Enchiladas — Mexican

Keep reading: what richness, sweetness, umami mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.